From 1920s to 1940s, a several well-known scholars and rural regeneration activists in the modern history of China, Lu Zuofu, Liang Shuming, Y.C. James Yen, Tao Xingzhi and Huang Yanpei, have managed to give an impetus to the rural regeneration experiments in Beibei District, Chongqing. Their efforts have resulted in the significant inspirations on the philosophy and practices of rural reformations.

There have been numerous institutions of education and scientific research founded in Beibei. Famed by Mao Zedong’s comment as “one of the four entrepreneurs whom people will never forget”, Mr. Lu Zuofu has been a founder of the Institute of Science and Technology of Western China, in which many of its participants have later become the academicians of Chinese Academy of Sciences. In 1940, Y.C. James Yen, one of the “ten great men of the 20th century changed the world”, has established the Institute of Rural Regeneration of China (renamed as Chuandong Educational College in mid-1950 and later merged into Southwest Teachers College), serving as the only institute in China providing higher education specially for rural people at that time. Meanwhile, there were many other institutes, such as Mianren College (later merged into Southwest Teachers College) set up by Mr. Liang Shuming, the Yucai School in Hechuan set up by Mr. Tao Xingzhi, and Fudan University which was temporarily moved to Beibei during the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945).

Some of the historical data of modern education and cultural sites have been preserved in Southwest University (SWU), which is located in Beibei.

In March 2012, on the basis of several conventions between Lu Zuofu Research Centre and the Rural Regeneration Centre of Renmin University of China, the Institute of Rural Regeneration of China (IRRC) of SWU has been officially established by SWU. The aim of the establishment of IRRC is to implement the national strategic adjustment on “Ecological Civilization” as well as the enhancement of cultural soft power stated by the ruling party. The further purpose is to succeed the abundant historical resources and cultural legacy with the reinforcement of scientific studies and personnel trainings on rural regeneration. With the head of SWU serving as the Dean, IRRC has distinguished Professor Wen Tiejun, the scholar and pioneer of contemporary rural regeneration as well as mass educational practices, as its Executive Dean.

SWU has always enjoyed the geographical predominance of being surrounded by the historical sites of rural regeneration during the Republican period (1911-1948), the wealth of the collated historical data, and the gather of extensive resources as well as talents from all specialties including agricultural discipline. IRRC will serve as a platform of developing specialized research on contemporary rural regeneration with the full utilization of SWU’s advantages, in which the Institute will achieve its goal through the promotions of rural area development, rural regeneration and rural education. At the same time, acting in concert with Beibei as the National Coordination of Rural-Urban Experimental District, IRRC will explore the working methods on rural-urban integration and the practice of rural regeneration.

The tasks of IRRC include:

1. To collate the diversified practical experience of rural regeneration in both local and overseas contexts, developing relevant theoretical research on Ecological Civilization and to advance world-wide and national exchange;

2. To launch the cultivation of local and overseas talents in the research areas of rural regeneration and “Three Dimensional Rural Issues”, compiling and publishing related teaching materials and monographs; makes policy recommendations based on contemporary research studies on sustainable rural development, rural governance and farmers rights protection;

3. To combine historical and contemporary research studies, in order to strengthen the practices and operating projects in the rural sustainable development experimental area; provides social services to meet local needs of sustainable development based on innovations and good practices generated from local intervention and practices both from local and aborad;

4. To implement SWU’s mission to meet the local needs of development, discovering the natural, historical and human resources, and thus to push forward the cultural development of rural regeneration.